So before this gets started, as I have mentioned before I've decided to change the denotation from COMMS: to the standard quotation format but utilising bold and italic to ensure that it stands out. These changes have now been made to the previous chapters and reflect how conversations pan out from here on too.

"From now on the sub-vocal communications will be represented as this."

"This is standard chatter."

'This represents spoken thoughts.'

0=0=0=0=0 This is a soft break, used to shift perspectives.

A line break is a hard break, used to shift scenes.

With all that out of the way, let's get on with the chapter. I hope you enjoy.

R&D MedLab, FTA HQ, 8:12 pm

The light flickered within the small ward that housed Agent Celeste. The blonde was in a medically induced sleep and was in the process of being scanned by an MRI machine. Lucy twitched slightly on the bed of the machine, causing the nearby man to look over at her worriedly.

"Miss Heartfilia will be fine, Mr Dragneel." The nurse that was operating the machine quietly reassured the agent. She glanced up from the display to the pinkette leant on the wall next to her. "I'm sure it is just a mutation caused by the Serum."

"I know, Chloe…" Natsu sighed quietly as he moved over to the brown-haired nurse and took a look at the live scan. "Keep an eye on her head… I had a similar reaction when I was developing my Reflex mutation. So I'm thinking she'll be showing neurological differences, maybe you could check for differences in brain activity compared to pre-Enhancement or post-Enhancement/pre-mutation levels?"

"I'll let the Doctor know what you suggested." Chloe said as she turned to the man and gave him a gentle smile. She took his hand and slowly led him to the door. "You should go and get something to eat. You haven't left her side since we allowed you to be with her."

At the nurse's words, Natsu's stomach grumbled loudly which made the woman giggle and lightly shove him out of the room. A small smile spread across his lips as the door closed behind him. He slipped his hands into his pockets and started making his way through the department. From a nearby workshop, Natsu heard two familiar voices. He headed to the door and quietly pushed it open, revealing the mountain of a man, Elfman, and the small blunette, Levy.

"And just why do you want me to design a man-portable Gau-19/B Gatling Gun?" Asked the FTA's resident Mad Scientist. She was sat on her desk with her arms crossed and her eyebrows furrowed. Her scowl was directed at a nearby 3-barrel .50 calibre Gatling which sat on a workbench, looking like it had been recently ripped off of a vehicle.

"Because it's a Manly gun." The burly man replied simply with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Sounds more like a case of overcompensation…" Levy muttered snidely as she took a deep breath. "Fine, just what exactly do you have in mind? I'll need details if I'm to figure out how to make it work the way you want it to."

"I want it to feed from a large ammo container on my back, it needs an integrated power supply in the gun itself, a variable spin speed so I can adjust the fire rate on the fly… Oh, and it needs a targeting system since I'd be hip-firing it." Elfman listed as he counted his points off on his fingers. "Well, maybe not the variable spin speed…"

"Yeah, and what about the recoil and torque?" Levy asked as she hopped off the desk and walked over to the gun. "This thing fires .50 BMG at speeds ranging from a thousand rounds a minute to two thousand, the bastard will buck like a bronco in your hands."

"Couldn't you just rig up some kind of recoil buffer system?"

"Elfman… These guns are designed to be mounted on vehicles and aircraft! Hell, using an M134 Minigun would be a better choice!"

"But this gun is Manly!"

"As interesting as this is back and forth is… I'd like to make a suggestion." Natsu finally announced his presence as he leant on the doorframe, watching as the two agents quickly turned their attention onto him. "For the recoil, use a gravity rune and set it to counteract every recoil impulse, which should solve the recoil issue. As for torque, just have a handle offset to the left of the gun so that the rotational force pushes the handle into Elfman's hand."

"Hmm, that is a good idea. It also means I can cut down the weight even further since it won't be needed to offset the recoil." The blunette pondered out loud as she glanced back down at the gun. "I'll use a miniature fusion reactor to power the gun like I did with Sayna, that man-portable railgun."

"And also, that variable speed is a good idea, it means you won't burn through ammo unless you really want to." Natsu added as he walked over to the Gau-19 and effortlessly picked it up. "Feels about fifty kilos, plus the modifications Levy will make… You said you are planning on carrying a massive container of ammo on your back?"

"Yes."

Natsu glanced at the mountain of a man as he sized up his back. "You'll be carrying a fair amount of ammo on your back. I'd recommend Armour Piercing Incendiary rounds. You sure you're up to lugging around the gun, ammo, ammo pack, and that new ballistic armour being developed for us?"

"The armour utilises carbon fibre, aramid, and ceramic compounds to create a lightweight but heavy duty personal armour. The weight of it won't be much of an issue, even with the planned design for Elfman's Heavy Assault set." Levy informed the man as she walked back to the desk and pushed herself back up onto it. "It'll come with a set of heavy duty mounting points so you can hold the ammo crate on it without the risk of the runes failing from stress."

"It's why I… umm… found this Gau-19/B just lying around and decided it would be a great weapon for me." Elfman said, he turned his head away from the blunette as he rolled his neck somewhat nervously.

"Mhm, "found", right." Levy grumbled as she air-quoted and sighed, she turned to Natsu and pointed at the Gatling gun in his hands. "Just put that down on the workbench again, I'll deal with it in the morning. You eaten yet?"

"No, I've been with Lucy…" The man replied quietly as he placed the gun back down. The silence following his words was deafening, the man visibly worried about the woman he had become very close with.

"Ah, yeah. I caught Mira and Happy on their way out a fair while ago. They told me what had happened. Anything new?"

"It's definitely a Mutation." Natsu walked over to the door and pulled it open, stopping to allow the two other agents to leave before him. He flicked the lights off and stepped out. "Her symptoms were similar to my own, leading me to believe it is some kind of mutation in her brain, we still have no clue what exactly it is though so she'll be kept under 24/7 surveillance."

"I'll see you two later, going out to catch a movie with Ever." Elfman said as he strode towards the exit, waving over his shoulder as he glanced back. "Hope Lucy gets well soon."

"Come, I'm starving too." Levy said as she took off at a brisk walk with the man easily keeping pace with her. The two agents travelled in relative silence as they passed through the underground halls of the Headquarters, stepping into an elevator near the security office. Levy jabbed at the floor that housed the main Café. "I wonder what tonight's special is?"

"Beats me, I just want some grub." Natsu yawned quietly, it hadn't been all that intense of a day but he was worn out mentally from being worried about Lucy. "I wonder what the weather is like…"

"Cold, too damn cold to do anything worthwhile." Levy muttered as she shivered and moved closer to Natsu due to his radiant heat. "All I want to do is get home, wrap myself up in a blanket and watch a movie."

"It's a pity these metal coffins aren't heated." Natsu chuckled as he raised the temperature of his body for the woman. "Maybe you should see if they have a soup or stew."

The elevator dinged and opened, allowing warm air to flow in from the hallway. The two agents stepped out and headed down the hall towards the Café. It was relatively quiet, basically just a skeleton crew operating at this time. Soft singing reached their ears, it was very feminine and sounded French. When the two agents entered the Café they were met with the back of a maid with dirty blonde hair tied into an elaborate bun, she was singing as she cleaned empty tables.

Natsu brought a finger up to his lips as he glanced at Levy, his mouth splitting into a playful grin. Silently, he approached the woman from behind. Once he got behind her, he slowly leant in and blew air onto the back of her neck, causing the woman to jump out of her skin.

"Oh Mon Dieu!" Genevieve cried out in shock as she spun around, she held her hand over her racing heart as her wide emerald green eyes gawked at the pinkette. "You ass!" She giggled as she whacked Natsu across the chest with the cloth in her hand. "Bonsoir, Monsieur Salamander, 'ow can I be of service?"

"Hey Genevieve. Just after some food. I'm surprised you are still here." Natsu said as he smiled at the woman. "Do you know what tonight's special is?"

"My shift is about to end, just finishing up 'ere." The maid tapped her chin in thought as they were joined by a smirking blunette. "Bonsoir, Mademoiselle Levy. Umm, I believe ze special is Bœuf à la Bourguignonne."

"Oh nice, beef bourguignon sounds fucking fantastic right about now." Levy groaned in anticipation, her mouth starting to water at the thought of the meal. "Could I have one please?"

"Oui!" Genevieve cheered happily as she wrote it down on the notepad. She gazed up at Natsu as she held the notepad to her chest and fluttered her eyelids bewitchingly. "Et toi, Monsieur Salamander?"

"Surprise me."

"You two can sit 'ere if you wish. I just finished cleaning ze table when zat ass spooked me." The maid giggled as she quickly wrote the man's meal down on the notepad and walked over to the window behind the counter, humming the tune from the song she had been singing.

Natsu groaned quietly as he sat down at the table. He rubbed his eyes as he murmured to Levy who took the seat across from him. "Happy is staying with Lis and Mira tonight. Going to be a quiet night."

"Sometimes quiet nights a good." Levy smiled as she leant back in her chair. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her heels on the edge of the chair. "Just throw on some quiet music or something."

"I need to meet up with Makarov first, about a meeting between organised crime bosses."

"Oh, sounds boring." Levy smirked at the man then glanced over at the kitchen, wondering how long the food will take. "I've heard an interesting rumour that's been floating around."

"Let me guess…" Natsu sighed as he slumped forward and propped his head upon his hand. "I'm ex-Yakuza? Or was it ex-Triad?"

"Yep, ex-Yakuza!" The blunette burst out laughing, holding her sides to stop herself from falling apart. "It's still hilarious!"

"I want to know just who exactly started this rumour…" The man grumbled as he watched Genevieve walk back to them with their food. "I really hate that rumour, the most I've had to do with them was information gathering and distributing."

"Sorry to interrupt, I chose Steak Diane for you, Monsieur Salamander, I also asked zem to bring out some Marquise au Chocolat for dessert too." The beautiful maid informed the pinkette as she placed the plate with his food down in front of him and Levy's bowl in front of the blunette. "Bon appétit." Genevieve smiled at the two agents before turned and disappearing back into the kitchen.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Natsu." Levy said as she pointed her spoon at him. "The rumour will die out soon enough, people like gossiping about people like us, coming up with crazy stories about our history." She ferried a spoon full of food onto her mouth and closed her eyes happily, savouring the flavour.

"There you are, Natsu."

"Hmm?" Natsu glanced over his shoulder and saw the short FTA Director, Makarov, approaching their table. "Sorry Sir, I was with Lucy down in R&D for most of the day. I was going to head to your office after I had dinner."

"Yes, I was informed about her condition, but have faith in her. I am sure she'll come out of this just fine." Makarov waved his hand, pushing the topic aside as he jumped up onto an empty chair. "Your task isn't classified so we can talk openly in here about it. As I said previously, all the heads will be there, I want you to be there too so we find out what they are up to and potentially dissuade them from taking any troublesome action."

"You mentioned that they'll be meeting on neutral turf, but where exactly would this be?"

"At a restaurant called La Jeune Fille Rubis, The Ruby Maiden. It's a restaurant that serves meals typical of which you'd find in Midi, the nation on the other side of Minstrel to us. You'll find this restaurant over in the Heliotrope Point Château, in the Heliotrope Estate up on a hill in the Northwest region of the City."

"Monsieurs." Genevieve smiled as she appeared next to Natsu. She had a hand over her heart as her eyes glistened with memories. "I'm from Midi, and I know of zis La Jeune Fille Rubis zat you speak of. Eet is a really nice restaurant in a château surrounded by lovely 'edges and flower gardens! Eet's fairly large too, offering rooms for people to stay a few nights."

"Sounds like they'd have plenty of staff…" Natsu murmured as he started to come up with a plan in his head. "Maybe I could slip in as a member of the staff."

"I think a guest would be more appropriate." Makarov suggested. "I can have a reservation set up for you. You'll be there for two nights, arriving the morning of the meeting."

"That'll be good, means I could move about freely as my presence is already known to some degree."

"Monsieurs, I know I'm not an agent or operative, but may I accompany Monsieur Salamander?" Genevieve asked curiously as she sat down on the man's lap and nestled into him with a seductive glimmer in her emerald eyes, her arms around him and her head resting on his shoulder. "I could say that 'e is ma copain?"

"Are you fine with this, Natsu?" Makarov looked between his staff member and the agent who'd have to protect her.

"Yeah, it'd be fairly low risk anyway." Natsu chuckled to himself as he pushed his empty plate a bit further away. "We'll be alright. But…" The man smirked as he slowly caressed Genevieve's cheek. "Ma chérie will have to make sure to not call me Monsieur Salamander."

The blonde hid her face in the crook of Natsu's neck as a light dusting of pink graced her delicate skin, a few moments she slipped off his lap and collected up the plates, a happy smile spreading across her lips as he gem-like eyes shined. "Allow me to bring out dessert, ma chérie~."

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"Each faction leader will have their vice leader and bodyguard. I believe they have a "Leave guns at the door" policy, but who knows if they'll stick by that. Lethal force isn't authorised, if you do get into combat then disarm them and ensure they cannot continue fighting."

"Yes Sir."

Heliotrope Point, Magnolia City, 9:48 am

Genevieve touched up her light makeup as she eyed herself in the mirror held in the sun visor. She shot a glance across the car at the salmon-haired agent, her stomach full of butterflies, she was actually doing some fieldwork with one of the best agents in the FTA. "'Ow do I look?"

Natsu spared the woman a quick look. She was wearing a pale pink silk dress that stopped just above her knees, it hugged her dainty frame perfectly and accentuated her refined curves. For once, her hair wasn't in her usual elaborate bun and was loosely plaited as it hung down her back, it was surprisingly long and reached her slim waistline. "Picture perfect. I almost don't recognise you."

"You don't look too bad yourself, ma chérie~." The Midian woman purred softly as she admired his pristine white suit. "You've done something with your 'air?"

"Hasn't been cut in a while so I tied it up at the back."

Genevieve took a hairbrush out of her bag and started to brush Natsu's hair down out of the long messy spikes, styling it into a more swept back look and pulled the hairband out of his hair. "Zere you go, I zink zat suits you better. Roguishly refined."

"Heh, thanks, Genevieve." Natsu chuckled quietly as he kept his focus on the road. "We're not far out now. How are you feeling?"

"A little nervous, ma chérie. Ze butterflies are driving me up ze wall. I also feel amused."

"Amused?"

The blonde giggled and tapped the dash of the car. "I feel like I'm in one of zose James Bond movies."

"Ah, yeah. Makarov decided my Black Mamba wasn't classy enough for the Château. So he lent me a new DB11 from the company inventory." Natsu half complained but smiled excitedly nonetheless. He had no complaints with the Aston Martin, it drove well, looked gorgeous, and sounded like an angel making love to a devil. It almost made him want the car for himself, almost. "I like it, but my car is more my style."

"I'm in love with ze colour of eet." Genevieve wrapped her arms around Natsu's arm and softly rested her cheek against his shoulder. "I always love 'ow warm you feel, eet's very soothing."

Natsu took one of his hands off the wheel and gently stroked the woman's dark blonde hair. "We're almost there. It should be fairly smooth getting in, should be all handled." As the man passed through a set of open gates that marked the entrance to the walled estate his hair rapidly darkened as his skin lightened, he became very lightly tanned with matte charcoal coloured hair. He blinked and in the slight reflection of the windshield, he could see a set of ice-blue eyes staring back at him. He slowed down as he drove along a red brick road that led up the last portion of the hill, atop of which stood the Château.

"Eet's so very beautiful." Genevieve murmured softly as she gazed around at the snow-dusted grounds. "Eet's a pity only the winter flowers are blooming zough… Eet's breathtaking in ze spring."

The Aston Martin rolled around the bend and cruised under the Château's ornately designed carport where some members of the staff were waiting, a few valet and a man wearing a fine red coat. As Natsu stepped out of the car, he was greeted by the man who double-checked the tablet in his hands. "Monsieur Saliman, correct?"

"Yes, Saito Saliman." The black-haired man bowed his head politely as a valet opened the door for Genevieve. "I see you were expecting me."

"I was. Allow me to introduce myself." The man offered Natsu a handshake as he gave him a genuine smile. "Raphaël Durand. I am ze owner of ze 'eliotrope Estate."

"Pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Durand." Natsu replied graciously as he took the offered hand and shook it firmly.

"Please, Raphaël will do." Raphaël smiled at the man but his eyes were quickly drawn to the gorgeous blonde who gracefully glided around the car and wrapped her arms around Natsu's left arm. "Such breathtaking beauty, Madame."

"Merci, Monsieur."

"Allow me to extend the same courtesy, Raphaël, please call me Saito." Natsu smiled as he turned his gaze to the woman on his arm, he gently cupped and caressed her cheek. "And this lovely woman is Genevieve."

"A pleasure, Madame. Saito, I came to see you in person to zank you and your company for their generous donation to ze 'eliotrope Estate's 'eritage Program. To show our zanks we have upgraded your room to the best we have to offer."

"I'd say I couldn't accept it, but I get the feeling you insist?"

"You are very correct, I'll 'ave your bags taken to ze room." Raphaël chuckled softly as he gestured to the boot of the DB11.

"Yeah, in the boot. Just be gentle with the car, she's one of my favourite. Keys are still inside it."

"Parfait. She'll be in good 'ands. Allow me to show you two you ze room." The man walked around the car, leading the two visitors into the building's lobby. "I've already checked you in, so we can 'ead straight to ze room or look around?"

"I think it'd be best to explore a little. Get to know the place." Natsu walked with a light swagger as he slowly glanced around while his senses took in the various stimulus in the building. He could smell food being cooked in the restaurant that would house his objective later that day, if he was asked he could easily say exactly what the ingredients were and what spices were being used. Snippets of various conversations held around the building flittered into his ears but none of it was any use to him. His trained eyes skimmed across the Château staff, quickly identifying those that were security guards, he couldn't smell gun power on them so he made an educated guess that they were carrying less-lethal weapons like a Taser, though he'd bet that they'd have at least handguns in a gun safe or armoury near to the lobby.

"Parfait. Follow me please."

"Ma chérie?" Genevieve murmured softly into the man's ear, gaining his attention as they followed Raphaël to the restaurant. "I wonder what ze room would look like."

"I'd expect to be blown away." Natsu replied quietly.

"Zis is ze famous La Jeune Fille Rubis, also known as Ze Ruby Maiden." Raphaël spun around on the spot with his arms outstretched.

As expected, the restaurant was very classy. Everything was polished to a shine, with paintings from Midi hung on the peach-coloured walls. Tables were spread evenly around the floor, allowing for easy access throughout the main floor for the staff. Natsu had to admit it looked fancy but it wasn't his kind of place, it was a nice place to dine every now and then but it definitely was too posh for him. "It's beautiful."

"Monsieur, may we please 'ave some crepes sent to our room?" Genevieve asked the owner as she gazed about the restaurant. She beamed happily as the Château's owner called a staff member over to fulfil the request.

Natsu noticed a set of open doors towards the far side of the room. From what he could see, it looked like a private dining room that could double as a conference room. 'That's probably where the meeting will take place, away from prying eyes.'

"Come on, ma chérie~." Genevieve giggled as she tugged on the man's arm, bringing him along as they moved through to the next room that Raphaël wanted to show off. But, Natsu wasn't really paying much attention to the two Midians, he was taking mental notes of the amount and strength of the security should things go pear-shaped.

They eventually reached the room after what felt like hours of touring the Château itself. Raphaël had suggested that they take a stroll around the grounds once they have settled down into the accommodation. He handed the key card over to Natsu and bowed politely. "Au revoir, Saito, Madame Genevieve. I 'ave to 'ead back to my duties. I 'ope you enjoy your stay, your baggage will be inside."

"Thank you. Have a nice day, Raphaël." Natsu replied as he watched the man jog down the hallway. The man pressed the card against the lock and heard the distinct click of the lock's bolt sliding open. "Ladies first."

"Merci!" The blonde woman purred as she swept past him and entered the room. She gasped loudly as she came to a stop in the middle of the lavish room. "Oh mon dieu… so fancy." Genevieve murmured as she walked around and ran her fingers over the various expensive fabrics. The room seemed fit for an aristocrat. She turned to the agent who shut the door behind him, noticing the stony look. "Ma chérie?"

"Genie, would you like to freshen up before we eat?" Natsu asked calmly as he gestured to the plate of crepes on the bench nearby. Genevieve smiled brightly and gathered up her toiletries bag from her luggage and headed into the bathroom, leaving Natsu to quietly sweep the room for any form of cameras or microphones. He had an off feeling about the whole 'Upgrade' thing and decided that there was too great of a possibility that the room was bugged. He grabbed a crepe as he passed by the plate, making it look like he was just admiring various things around the room during his search.

Natsu went over the room with a fine-toothed comb, but he couldn't find or sense anything out of the ordinary. While it eased his nerves a little, he still thought it was odd. Was this normal for more notable people like Mira and Lis, who were in the limelight often. He heard the bathroom door open and turned his head just as a make-up free Genevieve stepped out. "We're all fine in here, I just need to sweep the bathroom."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just not used to the pampered treatment. I keep thinking something is up." The charcoal-haired man walked passed the woman and entered the bathroom, leaving the door open as he gazed about the room. "But I haven't picked up on any kind of surveillance devices, magical or technological."

"Is magical surveillance common?"

"It was fairly common, but with the advent of technological devices that block the use of magic through a dampening field, magical surveillance has dwindled. Experienced mages could also very easily pick up on the signatures produced by the active bugs, which was another reason you don't see them often unless the target is dumb as fuck." Natsu checked all over the small room, making sure there were no small microphones or hidden cameras. He carefully tapped the mirror to see if there was any reverberation on the other side, since it sounded solid he could only assume that there were no bugs in the room or something hidden adjacent to them. "Huh… maybe it was just well meaning kindness."

"What do you use?"

"For surveillance? Little drone spiders, also doubles as a tracker." Natsu replied as he stepped out of the bathroom and found the Midian woman practically stuffing her face with the crepes. "Seems like those are tasty?"

"Delightful!" She purred as she held the plate out to the agent. "You can 'ave what is left."

"I'll pass, not hungry right now." Natsu waved the plate away and sat down on the bed. He groaned loudly as he took his suit jacket off. "I just finished a job where I had to dress up, and I'm stuck here again, all dressed up. Gods I hate suits!"

"I zink it suits you, ma chérie." Genevieve giggled as she sat down next to the man and softly brushed dust off of his shoulders.

"Very funny." Natsu smirked softly and rolled the cuffs of his black dress shirt up past his elbows. He pulled his tie free and threw it aside. "Could you please grab the white vest from my bag please?"

Genevieve hummed a melody as she rose from the bed and placed his bag on the bed. "You are completely unarmed?"

"Have no choice but to be visibly unarmed, if I was then it could cause trouble for us. Plus, I've been ordered to not use lethal force, and one small miscalculation with a gun or knife could take a life."

"Maybe for some normal person like me, but you…?"

"Genie. It's more likely for me to kill someone because of what I am. Every agent has to basically be retrained so that they know just how much strength is needed for fighting normal people, or even just everyday tasks like drinking. I can't count how many glasses I've shattered on accident when I got the Enhancement." Natsu undid the top two buttons of his shirt and took the vest that the woman had fished from his bag, sliding it on and buttoning it up quickly. "Should have seen Erza, she was a complete mess."

"She kept breaking plates?"

"And dropping her strawberry cheesecakes on the floor, yes." The man chuckled lightly as he rose to his feet. "We've got time to kill, would you like to come for a wander around the grounds? Should probably bring a coat."

"Oui. Sounds great!" Genevieve cheered happily as she rummaged in her bag.

Heliotrope Estate, Magnolia City, 6:55 pm

Agent Salamander sat at a dining table in La Jeune Fille Rubis, across from him was Genevieve with a glass of wine in her hand as she gazed at his mysterious scaled scarf which hid his throat mic. Their main course was placed in front of them just as small groups started filing into the room at the end of the restaurant. They came in twos and threes and varied in ethnicities but were all guided into the private dining room. "Agent Salamander to Control."

"Go ahead, Agent." Replied a woman, her voice slightly raspy.

"The meeting between the crime bosses seems like it's about to begin, they are arriving now. I've got positive IDs on the heads of the Triads, Yakuzas, Mafias, and some of the smaller Mobs."

"Understood. I'll pass the information along to the Director."

"Affirm." Sal's eyes drifted from the blonde Midian woman in front of him to over her shoulder as another smaller Mob family entered the restaurant. He busied himself with his food as he listened to the atmospheric music coming from the speakers, it reminded him of The Godfather. 'How ironic…'

By the time Genevieve and Sal had finished their food and were consulting the menu for their dessert, the final group had arrived. The Agent kept his posture relaxed and his eyes slightly averted from the doors as the head of the Yakuza was speaking to one of his branch families, it was a hushed argument but that wasn't an issue for him.

"Sasori-sama, we must order the restaurant to vacate."

"Calm yourself, Itona. I've personally checked the Estate's Visitor Records and found nothing to be suspicious about. Just the usual trust fund brats, some corporation cows, and some foreigners." Sasori murmured to his subordinate as he spared a cursory glance around the main floor of the restaurant. "Our main concern should be the people in this meeting, and maybe the filth in the slums."

"Ma chérie, should we have dessert in our room?" Genevieve asked with a smile as she rose up from her chair.

"Yeah, Genie, probably a good idea. A bit busy here." Sal replied as he cleaned his mouth with a napkin and rose to his feet. "I'm going to duck into the restroom here before I head up. Don't wait for me." Genevieve placed a kiss on his cheek before she turned and left the restaurant, leaving the Agent to head to the nearby restrooms. He came to a stop near the hallway and glanced over at the meeting room, the doors had been closed and voices inside had become muffled. 'I'm going to have to put a Spider in there…'

A faint glow grew on his left forearm and slipped through the clenched fingers of his right hand as he requipped his Tac-Com and a half inch sized ball. He slipped his thumb behind the ball and flicked it towards the meeting. "Control. I'm activating a Surveillance Spider and sending it into the room."

With the tap of his Tac-Com, the ball unfurled into a small drone and skittered across the room. It slipped under the gap between the doors and the floor and passed unnoticed to the underside of the table and out to the other side. It scurried up the wall and came to a stop on the ceiling, all while transmitting both the audio and the visual of the meeting to the Agent and through to Control.

"Control to Agent Salamander. We're picking up the transmission clearly. The Director has been patched in."

"Good copy. Waiting for further orders." Sal swaggered across the room and slipped out into the Al Fresco section of the restaurant where smoking was allowed. He slipped a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and slipped it between his lips as he leant against the snow dusted railing, he left it unlit as if he was contemplating whether or not to light it while he watched the feed from the meeting that played on his HUD and through his earpieces, keeping him notified of the progress of the discussion. It all seemed boring to him, to tell the truth. But Intel was Intel and it was worth its weight in gold. So the Agent just held his tongue and watched the snow drift onto the city.

A few of the words sparked some interest him, but it wasn't his jurisdiction, he was sure that the Intel would be sent to the police so they could handle it. But a sentence uttered by the head of the Bellum Mafia caught his attention.

"You understand what this mean, da? All those damn little bitches are trying to overthrow us by banding together!"

"We heard you the first time, Yaroslav." Sasori replied to the Bellum man, an edge to his voice as he grew tired of the Mafia boss. "We'll deal with the small fry in due time."

"Idiots. All of you!" Yaroslav slammed his hands down on the table as he leapt to his feet. "I've had reports of them gathering arms and cars! I have to spell it out for you, da? They're planning on attacking soon!"

"Salamander to Control. Requesting a UAV at my position. I want to keep an eye out for this attack should it come at this meeting. It'd be the perfect time to strike since all the heads are here."

"Granted. Will patch you into the feed when it arrives."

Sal pocketed the unlit cigarette and slipped back inside the restaurant. His ice blue eyes sharp as he scanned the room for trouble. It was beginning to empty and thankfully so, it'd make his job that much easier. The Agent stopped one of the waitresses who had just finished serving a table and flashed her a charming smile as he made small talk to pass the time.

All it took was a couple of minutes for a new screen to open on his HUD, revealing a column of junkyard armoured cars racing up the hill from the barrios. A sight that caused Sal's eye to twitch with annoyance as it threw a rather large monkey wrench into his plans. He pardoned himself and allowed the waitress to return to her duties as he started heading to the restroom once more.

"Agent Salamander." Director Makarov came through the man's earpieces, his tone calm but commanding as he gave the man his orders. "Bring them the bad news, looks like you'll have a firefight on your hands."

Sal's swagger vanished instantly as his posture straightened, his features rapidly returning to normal and his suit's colours becoming inverted as he turned on the balls of his feet and crossed the restaurant once again. A dull glow emitted from his lower back and outer thighs as his knives appeared crossed at the back of his belt and his G20s in their holsters strapped to his thighs.

The now red-eyed Agent pushed apart the doors and interrupted the meeting, causing the members of various organised crime families to jump to their feet and reach for the weapons, some drawing knives while others cursing loudly at their lack of a firearm.

"Calm down. Fucking arseholes." His voice was calm but carried a ruthless undertone as he crossed to the table and flicked a small projector disk onto it. Sal sensed someone trying to sneak up behind him but didn't bother giving them much attention as he activated the hologram from his Tac-Com. "Buddy, feels like you've got a death wish. Go ahead, just try it."

"Yaroslav. Tell your man to back off before he gets himself killed." A woman across the table from the agent growled with a thick accent similar to Yaroslav's. She was visibly scarred and had a tough look about her, calm and confident. Sal guessed that she would have been ex-military or something similar. "You don't want to piss this man off. Not when you realise just who he is."

"By all means, Sofiya, why don't you share the knowledge stored in that wonderful brain of yours with the rest of the class, da?"

The blonde woman's piercing blue eyes appraised the pink-haired agent before her as she stayed silent for a few moments, wondering if the mobster behind him would continue the attack or whether he would back off. She took a drag of her thin cigar and blew out a puff of smoke as the corner of her mouth fell, she was disappointed. "Why don't you introduce yourself, Mr Agent? Since we won't be having a demonstration of your abilities."

Yaroslav slammed a fist down onto the table and pointed at Agent Salamander. "I don't fucking give two shits who he is, just kill the fucking rat!"

Sal threw an amused glance at the mobster and pointed to the hologram. "If you are both done with this amusing little thing you have going on, that column of junk armoured cars is coming this way. I'd suggest arming yourself and leaving this estate, or at the very least take it outside since I'd rather not have such a nice place shot up."

"If the rumours are true, you must be the infamous Agent Salamander." Sasori said smoothly, gaining the pinkette's attention as well as a quirk of an eyebrow. The Yakuza boss approached the man with crossed arms as the mention of the codename sent ripples across the meeting. "While I don't exactly know what you look like, whether this is really you or a mask of someone else, your aura and weapons alerted me to your identity. You're famous for using a pair of Glock 20 pistols, and very dexterously too. And naturally those dangerous red eyes of yours instil fear in those of weak fortitude. Might I ask that you help us?"

"I already have, I gave you forewarning didn't I?"

"I meant lending us your notorious abilities."

"I'm well aware of what you are asking, but my help comes with a price." The agent crossed his arms across his broad chest as his red eyes bore into the boss' yellow eyes. "I believe you are aware of it."

"I'm sure we can work something out that doesn't require spying on our little meetings, say like information on the activities of certain cells and cults."

"Hmm…" Sal considered the offer for a brief minute before nodding his head slowly. "We'll be in contact."

"Excellent. Now, about our current problem." Sasori extended a hand and pointed to the hologram on the table. "I suggest we go and gather our weapons. It looks like we don't have much time."

Without another word, the Agent grabbed the disk from the table and sent it away with a dull glow of light. Numerous chairs scraped along the polished mahogany floor as they were pushed back from the table, their occupants rising to their feet.

"I fucking told all of ya that those idiots would be coming." Yaroslav grumbled under his breath as he pushed past Sasori and Agent Salamander. "And now we've got some Bond wannabe playing big spy guy."

Sal noticed more than a few cautious glances sent his way, the distances that his reputation had spread surprised him slightly and he wondered if he came across as the boogeyman they all believed him to be. He noticed Sofiya veer towards him with a determined look in her eye. "Yes, Pavlovna, what do you want?"

"I want Yaroslav to catch a bullet, Mr Agent." She said assuredly, her tone left no room for negotiation for the Salmon-haired man. "He is a thorn in our side and must be taken out."

"Woman, I may kill for the company but I'm not a gun for hire." Sal snarled as he pointed a finger at her.

"Yet you are going to help us deal with our little slum rat plague."

"Don't think I'm doing this to benefit any of you, had this happened somewhere else, say an abandoned industrial complex, I'd have let you all kill each other or done it myself if it wouldn't have created a massive power vacuum." His hand slowly curled into a fist in front of the woman as a glow flickered to life in his eyes, enforcing the deadly truth of his words.

"Such a dangerous man, you are." The scarred woman purred as a fierce glimmer shone in her eyes. "We'll be out front."

The Agent grumbled under his breath as he made his way to the reception, he quickly spotted the brightly dressed owner and stalked over to the man. His hand wrapped around the Midian man's tie and wrenched him close, his voice coming out low and authoritarian. "Mr Durand. Get your people deeper into the building. Your front yard is about to become a warzone."

"W-what?" The black-haired man stammered, rapidly stumbling over his words as he stared into the dangerous crimson eyes of the unfamiliar man.

"Get. Your. People. Back!" Sal growled in frustrated anger as he threw the man to the floor. "Hell is about to break loose and that means get your staff and guards and get the fuck out of my path." He watched for a moment as Raphaël Durand scampered to his feet and fixed his tie before hurrying away. The Agent held crossed the room and pushed open the doors where he came face-to-face with the sight of the organised crime families pulling guns out of the back of their cars and arming their respective members. There were no more than twenty-five all up, spread across all groups, some of them with only two bodyguards at the most.

Sofiya stood next to Sasori and a man who Agent Salamander recognised as the head of the local Triad, commonly known as Mr Zhao. He was a fit man in his early thirties, with a strong face and black hair that was on the long side. Sal's eyes darted to Sofiya as he noticed the patches on the coat which confirmed his suspicions about her being ex-military, specifically Bellum's Airborne Troops, the Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska also known as the VDV. It seemed that she was fairly high-ranking and it confirmed the rumours of the men under her command being too well-trained for common thugs. A VSS Vintorez rested against the wheel of her car right beside Sofiya's leg, the integrally suppressed DMR must be her favoured weapon. Internally he despised the fact that he didn't know what the other two bosses were carrying as their weapons were blocked from his view.

With a grunt of annoyance the man quickly shifted his attention to the drone's feed on his HUD as the sound of groaning engines reached his ears. They seemed to be only a few minutes out now which prompted Sal to step into the little powwow before him, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Pardon the intrusion but company is about to arrive." The Agent's demonic red eyes scanned the faces of the crime bosses as his lips tugged up into a snarl. "So quick fucking about and get into position."

"Calm down, Mr Super Spy." Mr Zhao murmured as he tore his gaze off of the map that he had laid out on the top of the car's boot. He turned to the Agent and visible recoiled fearfully at the sight of the man's dangerous eyes. The Triad boss took half a step back but recovered quickly, stopping the shiver that ran down his spine as it hit midway. "Right. Salamander… My apologies, I momentarily forgot who I was dealing with. We are currently planning a defence. I believe it would be best that we dealt with things here where we have the most cover. But that idiot Yaraslav has convinced some of the lesser families to set up along the driveway… where the cover is unsubstantial."

"Durand is pulling his people back." Sal informed the bosses as he crossed his arms over his chest, his crimson eyes scanning around the soon-to-be battlefield. "Pavlovnya, do you have any of those famed elite mobsters lying around in wait nearby?"

"Just the four that came with me. But we are well armed and ready to fight."

"Agent Salamander, lethal force is authorised. That said, I'd rather you kept the casualties to a minimum, if that is even possible given those we are forced to work with to protect those inside the building."

"Copy that, Director. But what are we going to do about clean-up?"

"Officially, you were never there. There will be no physical record of you, and we'll send in Agent Radar to remove you from the bystanders' memories."

"I see, standard plain sight clean-up. Shall I put on a show of power?"

"No need to use anything too dangerous, Codenames: Blast, Dragon, and Control are authorised. Beyond that is unnecessary. Standard action movie if you get my meaning."

"Understood." Sal chuckled quietly under his breath as he turned to look down the hill towards the gate. "Better get into positions. They're about to burst through that gate."

At the man's words, a school bus turn mobile armoured bunker careened through the Estate's gates with nerve grating sound of twisted metal rending, skidding, and clattering along the pavement as sparks shot of them. A hail of gunfire ripped through the flower beds that lined the driveway, shredding the winter flowers and sending showers of colourful petals flying through the air.

"Men! Take your positions!" Sofiya commanded as she picked up her rifle and took position behind one of the cars. The other bosses followed her example and ordered their own thugs into cover behind the cars and masonry.

Sal watched on as the bullets smacked into the armoured bus, some ricocheting off and others becoming a lead and copper pancake on the thick metal plates. A quick glance gave the Agent all the information he needed, he saw that there were narrow slits in the windows that seemed to function as both a viewport and a fireport. The bus was also weighed down by all the junk armour, so the suspension was basically non-existent, causing every little bump to rock the vehicle just enough that any normal person would have a hard time shooting through the gap.

Even now there were bullets pinging off of the steel plating protecting the driver, coming from off to the side of him. It seemed that not even Sofiya or her professional attack dogs could quite hit the mark when it came to something this erratic, and to make things worse the driver had started to lightly swerve the bus about the driveway and causing the narrow slit to rock, bob, and roll.

In one fluid motion, the salmon-haired Agent drew his Glock from his right thigh and levelled it with the armoured bus. His focus caused the world around him to crawl to a snail's pace as the man tracked the small viewport. The gun couldn't move from its position as the Agent pulled the trigger, held firm as the bullet raced out of the barrel and the slide shot back, it remained on target no matter how much the forces of recoil acted against the enhanced strength of the Agent.

Sal saw a spurt of red through the gap in the armour and watched on as the front wheels immediately hooked to the bus's right, hitting full lock and causing the overweight vehicle to shoot across the driveway as it began to tilt precariously. With an almighty bang, the bus came crashing down on its side, metal groaning and screeching as it ground along the driveway, gouging tracks in pavement then into the once pristine gardens.

The gunfire fell silent as the thugs dived out of the way of the bus. I quartet of cars roared past the carnage and raced towards the lone pinkette as he drew his second G20 pistol and held both by his sides. The red-eyed Agent didn't even flinch as the first car barrelled down upon him, the man only lifted his foot and slammed it down on the bonnet with incomprehensible power, burying the front end of the car into the ground and forcing it to come to a dead stop.

Embers started to float around in the air, dancing in tune to the rapid heartbeats of those watching the scene unfold. This man was a faceless monster, no one knew what he truly looked like due to all accounts telling of a different looking man. But the tales of Agent Salamander are still whispered with hushed fearful voices among the darkest corners of Fiore and the surrounding nations; a monster of a man who walks among fire, dances through gunfire, and can kill you head-on before you even had a chance to fight back.

Yellow lines raced out like a spider's web from under Sal's foot, spreading out across the body of the car before glowing brightly and detonating, decimating the car and the people inside it in their entirety. He whipped his left arm across in front of him as he knocked aside the flying steel plate that used to be the car's armoured windshield.

The three armoured cars screeched to a halt around the man as the muzzles of Automatic Rifles stuck from the slits in the thick steel windows. But by the time they were ready to fire, Agent Salamander had leapt over to the rolled-over bus and started walking along the length of its side, dropping primed grenades down through the fireports. As he moved away from the bus, the explosives triggered and shrapnel pinged around the inside of the vehicle, accompanied by a cacophony of pained screams and wet thuds.

"SHOOT THE CUNT!" Shouted one of the Slum Rats as a hail of bullets shot out from the cars and filled the air around the Agent, prompting him to jump down behind the bus and take cover.

Sofiya pulled a case out of the boot of her car and flipped the latches open. She pulled an RPG-7 and loaded a rocket into the front of the tube. "Get Clear!" She ordered as she brought the warhead to bear upon the closest armoured car and fired it off with a loud gah-dush.

The Rocket Propelled Grenade crossed the distance in an instant and slammed into the side of the car, detonating loudly and sending a jet of molten copper into the cabin of the armoured car, eliciting screams that rapidly faded.

Taking advantage of the chaos as the firefight kicked off once more from all sides, Agent Salamander became a blur, utilising his enhanced speed and reflexes to sprint circles around the remaining cars while dodging bullets like he was an Agent from the Matrix. The Agent hooked his foot under the side-skirt of the car and kicked his leg up, flipping the car on its side with frightening ease as he followed up with a solid side-kick to the underside of the car, sending it skidding along the driveway.

A glowing yellow glyph spun on the underside of the car as it skidded along toward a group of Bellum Mafia thugs. Sal switched his focus to the final car in the assault, his pistols rising up and unleashing a volley of precisely aimed Full Metal Jacket 10mm ammunition through the fireports in the doors as an explosion behind him ripped the previous car to shreds and sent twisted metal and various other shrapnel into the crowd of thugs, also catching the Mob Boss, Yaroslav, in the blast.

A deathly silence spread across the estate as the last brass casing bounced off the driveway and the shooting ceased from all sides. The mags slid out from Sal's Glock pistols and vanished in a dull flash of light halfway to the ground. The Agent quickly replaced the magazines with a full set and released the slides, he placed the pistols back into their holsters as he turned back to the building's entrance. "All hostiles neutralised. I deemed it necessary for full elimination to prevent possible causalities of facility staff and cliental should the combatants storm the building."

"Understood, I'll organise for a squad to head over and clean up. Head back to your room and enjoy the rest of your stay, I'm sure Genevieve is worried and or scared sick right now."

"Agent Salamander." Mr Zhao called out calmly as he slowly approached the man, his MP5 held in one hand with its muzzle to the sky. "We appreciate the help. You have our word that we'll give you any information that your company asks for, within reason. We don't want to damage our organisations after all."

"Provided you don't do anything that causes you to fall into our sights, then you'll be fine." Sal replied as he pushed past the man and continued to the building while his appearance shifted rapidly. His hair became short and orange while his eyes turned yellow, his skin became pale and dotted with freckles as his outfit altered itself to match that of the hotel staff. When he spoke he talked with a completely different inflection and cadence, all of which transformed his being into someone else entirely. His slightly jovial tone came out rapidly. "An' if you do then you better keep lookin' over ya shoulder. You won't know when someone like me would be there."

FTA HQ, 8:38 AM

A few days had passed since the conflict at the Estate, and Natsu hadn't heard much about Lucy. It had started to grind on his nerves to the point he contemplated marching down to the medical facilities where she is recovering and undergoing observation so he could get an update on her status.

The click of the door alerted him to someone entering his office, a mix of scents flowed into his nose before the person on the other side had even come into view. His white-haired handler and fellow Agent, Mira, came in with two bags of food and coffees. "Heya Hot Stuff, I brought some breakfast since I bet you haven't eaten yet either."

"What did you get?" The man asked as he pushed away from his desk and walked around it. He took the offered bag and the coffee labelled 'Nat' and sat on the edge of his desk.

"A breakfast burger and hash brown each, and of course a coffee each for a pick-me-up." Mira replied as she plopped herself down on the couch and placed the bag and coffee on the coffee table. "I've heard about Lucy by the way. She woke up during the night, they've been running all types of scans on her since 2 AM."

"How come I haven't heard anything about this?" Natsu's ire slipped out as he pulled the wrapped burger out of the bag and sniffed it deeply, savouring the delicious scent of beef, bacon, and egg. His stomach rumbled loudly, protesting the man's actions and begging to be filled.

"I've only just been informed about it because I stopped by about an hour ago to check up on her." Mira retorted with a poke of her tongue as she grabbed her hash brown and started to nibble on it. "Neural scans have picked up greater neuron activity when compared to her post Enhancement scans. So there is talk that her mutation requires more mental acuity than a regular mutation."

"Hence why she fell into a comatose state." Surmised Natsu as he clicked his fingers at the woman, his head nodding quickly. "The demand on her neural network overloaded her body, forcing it to shut down and upgrade the pathways to comprehend and utilise the new ability she has developed."

"They said that the activity seems similar to those who are adept at teleportation magic, more specifically the ones who can precisely teleport objects and themselves, and I don't mean like me teleporting from this office to gardens in Crocus, I mean like me teleporting my cup of coffee into your waiting hand or me right onto your lap. The speculation is that she'll be able to naturally do this though to what degree is currently unknown. The scientists also noticed an increase in the spatial awareness sense, so chances are she'll be at a level of awareness at or near your own abilities."

The pink-haired agent scarfed down his breakfast and grabbed the coffee as he rose to his feet. "I think I'll go check on her now then, thanks for the food Mira."

This one took a bit to complete, between writer's block, low motivation, and being busy with studies, though it is done now and hopefully it is at least alright. Not much else to say so I'll just leave you all with a stay healthy and farewell.